


Kiss The Ring

by DisasterSoundtrack



Category: All Time Low (Band), Bandom, Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco, Waterparks (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Fluff and Angst, Guardian Angels, Heaven & Hell, M/M, Smut, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-06
Updated: 2018-07-06
Packaged: 2019-06-05 18:17:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15176525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DisasterSoundtrack/pseuds/DisasterSoundtrack
Summary: It’s been seventeen bloody years of watching over Geoff Wigington in Houston, Texas, and Alex has had his practice and he’s ready for more.This mission is boring at best, annoying on the daily and straight up draining at worst.Alex is bored to death, until he meets a certain demon that asks for his help.





	Kiss The Ring

**Author's Note:**

> Listen to [the playlist](https://open.spotify.com/user/1168369167/playlist/0AAoFcPHhemrmn6b0UbFxh) as you read!

The ring is heavy around Alex’s finger.

Some days it burns more, some days less, but its heaviness is imprinted somewhere deep in Alex’s soul, bothering him, making this earthly stay more and more exhausting with each passing day. Whenever he tries taking it off for longer than five minutes, he gets light-headed and starts swaying on his legs, so he keeps it on, moving it over his head to where it’s supposed to be as often as possible.

This mission is boring at best, annoying on the daily and straight up draining at worst. The kid he is supposed to be protecting, Geoff, leads the most plain life imaginable: he is a straight Bs student in high school, has been dating the same girl for two years now and is very much in love with her, him and his two boring friends play in some lame pop punk band and the other kids don’t even drink alcohol. Geoff does, but come on, how much of a challenge is handling a 17-year-old drunk on beer once in a while? Frankly, Alex is insulted. He knows it’s his first assignment and that by all heavenly definitions, he’s still a trainee, but it’s been seventeen bloody years of watching over Geoff Wigington in Houston, Texas, and Alex has had his practice and he’s ready for more. He thinks himself competent enough to handle a challenge: a drug addict, perhaps. A woman in a high-risk pregnancy. A soldier in the warzone. But no, he has to spend four more years watching after Geoff, getting excited whenever the kid gets approached by a stranger in a dark alley only to realize it’s just some hobo asking for spare change.

Alex is bored to death, until he’s not bored anymore. But that is neither here nor there.

***

The first time Jack shows up, Alex throws a kitchen knife at him.

There’s nothing to do on a Friday evening, out of all evenings, because Geoff is at band practice, which has currently evolved into a game of Never Have I Ever. Alex taps into Geoff’s consciousness every once in a while, looking at the other kids, Awsten, Otto, Travis and Jawn, through Geoff’s eyes. Things are as calm and uneventful as ever, so Alex makes a trip to the nearby store for nachos and salsa (a shitty thing about being an angel on an earthly mission is that you get hungry, tired, sleepy and horny just like a regular human being. Alex hates it). He’s plating his snack in the kitchen when a voice sounds off from somewhere behind his back.

“I _love_ nachos. Share please?”

Without thinking, Alex turns around supernaturally fast, spots a certain _being_ sprawled on his living room couch, and hurls a butter knife right at its head. The knife slides right through the being’s head, lighting it up red and golden for a second, and then clatters to the ground behind the couch. If Alex could die, again, his heart would totally stop right now and send him off this earth this instant.

“Ow. That’s not how you say hi to a new friend, Alex.”

“A friend? Why would I ever be friends with a fucking demon?” A ball of cold is pooling in Alex’s stomach and he recognizes the feeling as fear, something he hasn’t felt in forever. The demon, dressed like a shitty rockstar wannabe, smirks lazily and stretches his long limbs on the couch, making Alex understand why he’s still a trainee. He’s trying to rake his brain for _Getting Rid Of a Demon 101_ , or at least _Self Defense For Dummies_ , and he’s coming up empty-handed.

Slowly, excruciatingly slowly, the demon flashes Alex a brilliant grin. “Because we have a common enemy.”

***

See, there’s not much glamour left to being an angel these days. When you’re still a human, usually quite young, too, you get ripped away from the Earth via a tragic accident just because your soul is showing a certain set of qualities.

Purity is the crucial one, Alex has been told during days upon days of theoretical training. And not purity in the traditional sense of the word, since everyone is a sinner in this day and age; everybody drinks, fucks, curses and makes mistakes. But if your heart manages to stay in the right place through all of this, you are angel material, and therefore gain a purpose more important than your human life. So you die. You wake up in Heaven with permanent memory loss and the weirdest pain between your shoulder blades, where you are absolutely disgusted and horrified to find growing wings.

You don’t remember anything from your previous life, but your personality doesn’t change and you get to keep your name. Or so they say; nobody can ever be sure if it’s true. Then you undergo months of the dreaded theoretical training before they let you watch another angel perform their own mission and sometimes provide input and support. If your input and support is good enough, you get your own mission and get sent down to Earth yourself.

It’s basically like going to school and then starting a job, and Alex knows that. Still, he could have ended up flipping burgers in a local McDonald’s like Geoff’s friend Otto, so he’s not complaining; not too much, at least. Watching another angel on the job was a lot of fun: he got assigned to Vic, and Vic was a total badass. He was guarding this C-list actor who stumbled upon a great part and got very rich and popular overnight, so keeping him on the righteous path was a huge challenge; hell, it became a challenge to keep him alive at some point after he discovered cocaine, and Vic valued Alex’s opinions and sometimes ignored the mighty rules to follow his own judgement, which always turned out well. After Vic’s mission was done, Alex was sent on his first one and got Vic to supervise him during the first five years of Geoff’s life. It was smooth sailing. With babies, you just need to mind if they’re not trying to eat dog poop on the playground. There’s no moral dilemmas to solve.

Five years were over though, Alex’s supervision by Vic was terminated and Alex was left alone, watching over Geoff with his suburban family and their suburban cars and their suburban friends, keeping a low profile himself, living in a tiny suburban house and riding an SUV to Walmart every now and then. His angelic powers… what angelic powers? Everything is subdued while on Earth. He can do some mild telekinesis, some pretty solid basic healing and he can read other’s emotions, but whenever he needs something more major to be done for his subject, he sends a signal Upstairs and the thing just happens, out of his control. His wings are hidden, only two vertical scars between his shoulder blades visible to mortals, and his halo became fucking jewellery.

Basically, Alex has no friends, is stuck missing his roommate Patty and working with Vic, feels shitty, unimportant and second-rate, and is in no shape to deal with an actual demon from actual Hell. Not here, not now.

***

“What the fuck are you talking about? How can we possibly have a common enemy?” Alex twists his hands, having forgotten all about the nachos, staring straight at the black-haired, objectively very handsome presence still seated comfortably on his couch, and still fucking grinning. Alex is ready to throw more knives, and he isn’t going to wait long. Only then does his useless brain remind him of a piece of very useful knowledge, and a sentence from one very long lecture on demons flashes before his eyes like a neon sign. _Since the Constantinople Convention of 856 A.D., angelic powers DO NOT work on demons and other demon-affiliated beings while on Earth._

Fuck.

The demon beckons Alex closer, inviting him to the couch, but Alex doesn’t move a muscle. “Talk, demon. I don’t have time for this.” Briefly, Alex taps into his Geoff vision. The boy is playing Mario Kart, everything is fine. Alex doesn’t have any enemies, except maybe for this very demon right here, trying to convince him otherwise.

“Holy shit, you’re all work and no play. Alright, so. Your sweet, wide-eyed subject, Geoff. He has a very good friend, right? A friend with a weird name that’s spelled wrong.”

“Which one?” Alex asks, because there’s multiple. The demon mentioning Geoff’s name sends a chill down Alex’s spine. There’s no way Alex is letting anything bad happen to the boy.

“Awsten. Awsten Knight. Ring any bells?”

“Of course it does. They’re -” Alex nearly blurts out how the boys are together right now, but suddenly remembers he’s in the presence of a hellish being, and checks himself. “Awsten is no danger to anyone. Maybe to himself at some point in the future if he keeps eating as much sweets as he does now.”

“Oh, Alex. Sweet, pure, adorable Alex. But you’re not that untainted, right?” The demon plays with the collar of his own black shirt and sighs deeply. “Damn, your angelic beauty is sidetracking me. I’m gonna cut to the chase here. Awsten’s so-called guardian angel, going by the name of Steve, is one of ours.”

 _Oh shit_ , Alex thinks. “Oh shit.”

“ _Oh shit_ sounds about right. Look, there’s… there’s a lot to explain. We had him in max security, but somehow he came into a lot of power and escaped. We think he either murdered Awsten’s real guardian or is keeping them hostage, so you have something to win here, too.”

“What if I don’t care?” Alex lies. Now that he knows another guardian angel is in danger, there is no way he won’t at least attempt to save them. He also thinks about all the glory that would bring him Upstairs, of becoming a decorated hero, of maybe being taken off the Geoff mission… but, to be honest, the Geoff mission just got kind of interesting.

“You don’t care? As if,” scoffs the demon. “I can see the wheels turning in your pretty head already. You are so desperate to do something big. Something heroic. Something… interesting. And this Steve guy, he’s a bad, bad person. Not a bad person we have fun with where I come from, either.”

“I had no idea you guys were picky.” Honestly, Alex is getting tired. He makes his way towards the couch and perches up on the armrest, not letting the demon out of his sight, even though at this point he doesn’t seem too threatening.

“Oh, you’d be surprised. Anyway, are you in or not? Capturing a B-movie villain, bringing him to justice, having some fun, you and I becoming best buddies?”

Alex hates the last part, but doesn’t half mind the rest. His fingers are tingling. He needs to sleep and think about this in the morning, without a presence of a demon in his house.

“Why me? What about the other guardians? Otto’s? Jawn’s? Awsten’s parents’? Anyone?”

“We are not involving any parents of any kind into this whole mess if we can avoid it. At this point, we can. Otto’s and Jawn’s wingy friends kicked me out of their house, so. They were pretty convincing.” The demon grabs his right upper arm like he’s hurt there, and Alex is thinking maybe his more experienced colleagues have their own ways of fighting evil. “And they’re not nearly as easy to look at as you are,” the demon winks and clicks his tongue twice.

“Oh, shut up. No, wait, _their_ house?"

“Yeah, I think they’re sleeping together. I picked up the vibe -  Whatever, though,” shrugs the demon, and at this point Alex really needs to ask for his name, even if it’s basically fraternizing with the enemy.

“Look. Whatever your name is.”

“Jack. My name is Jack. Nice to meet you.” The demon’s entire face lights up.

“Alright. Jack. First things first. I’m not letting you hurt Awsten.” _I find him the least boring out of Geoff’s friends. I only have four years left on this mission and I don’t care a fuck._ “Not on my watch, alright? So if that’s your plan, you can get the fuck out immediately.”

“Hurt? No. I can’t hurt the kid. Direct orders. Hands tied and all that,” Jack makes a pair of handcuffs appear out of thin air around his wrists for a flash and then disappear. “We just need to somehow force Steve out of hiding. We need to catch him red-handed.”

“How exactly are we going to make that happen?”

“Well. That’s where things get just a little bit complicated, because, frankly, I have no idea,” replies Jack shamelessly.

“What.”

“You’ve heard me, sweetheart. Do you think I’d come to you, _an angel_ , and beg for help, if I had all the answers already?”

No, he probably wouldn't. Alex knows that, and hates to admit that he’s been roped in. He’s going to help the demon come up with a plan and execute it, but he will still keep watching his subject just like he is now.

“So, no plan. Do you want me to come up with one? Am I supposed to have one already? Because I don't.”

“Yeah, I don't expect you to. Look. Maybe we can just figure out how to flush Steve out together. Watch the Awsten kid, set up a trap, I don't know. There’s a lot to figure out, but I’m sure it will work out if we both put our minds to it.” Jack winks suggestively, again, and suddenly Alex feels overwhelmed. He needs time; just some time to think it all through and put things in order in his head.

“Alright. Okay, let’s do it.” Saying it doesn't come with as much relief as Alex expected. “But not tonight, okay? We start tomorrow. I have things to do,” Alex lies.

“You promise? You're not just saying that to get rid of me and perform a disappearing act so I’ll find a single white feather and no sign of you tomorrow? Because I have my ways to track you, you know.”

“I promise. I’m in.” Alex is not even trying to imagine Jack’s ways of tracking him.

“You have to swear.”

“No way. I’m not making any sacred bonds with you, no blood pacts, no unbreakable vows, I’m not stupid.” There is an entire arsenal of ways to make an unbreakable promise. _You’re dealing with a demon_ , Alex reminds himself. _Don't let him fuck you over._

“No, not like that. Pinky swear.”

Alex didn’t mishear. Jack is extending a hand his way, his pinky hooked, his expression serious, and with surprised laughter dying on his lips, Alex hooks his pinky around Jack's.

“There, done. Now get the hell out of my house.”

“Et tu, Brute?” Jack pretends to be insulted, stabbing himself with an imaginary knife, but moving towards the door anyway. “I’ll be back tomorrow, sweetheart. We have a lot to figure out.” He passes by Alex, who’s holding the door open for him, even though the demon most likely doesn’t even need it, and Jack grabs his hand for a second, touching Alex’s ring and looking at it wonderingly. Jack’s skin is warm like he just spent hours soaking in the sun. “I like your style, you know.” With that, he leaves, and Alex finally takes a deep, shaky breath.

The ring around his finger burns all through the night, not letting him sleep.

***

Awsten breaks an arm the next morning.

Geoff is woken up by a phone call at 7AM on a Saturday and so is Alex, the alarm bells in his head loudly informing him that something is wrong, very wrong. The kid informs Geoff that he tripped over his own legs walking down the stairs and fell, breaking a bone as a result, and is now on the way to the emergency room with his dad. Awsten laughs through the pain and yeah, accidents happen to anyone, right? Except they don't and they shouldn't and Alex is aware that a stupid accident like that is usually a work of a neglectful guardian angel. But what if the guardian angel is not there at all? What if they were kidnapped by a rogue Hell escapee and are currently being tortured, for example?

Alex has no reason to think Jack the demon lied to him. Now, he has reasons to believe he actually told him the truth.

It’s a worrying, chaotic day Alex spends immersed in his Geoff vision, trying to find out as much as possible about how Awsten is doing, but it’s also a boring day of Geoff going on a shopping trip with his parents and receiving only intermittent texts from Awsten. He sends a silly photo of himself with his arm in a cast and whines how he won't be able to play the guitar for a month or longer.

The boy lives to play. Alex is starting to get angry; he wants to go out there and start manually protecting Awsten, but he knows he’s not supposed to. You can only interact that way if your subject is in grave danger, and Awsten is neither in visible distress nor is he Alex’s subject. It’s all _wrong_.

Alex prevents a stray cat from running under Geoff’s dad’s car and waits for more texts from Awsten. All the boys are planning to meet up at 8PM. At six, Alex finds himself munching on tortilla chips and impatiently waiting for Jack’s arrival.

There’s a knock on Alex’s door at 7:30 when Alex has lost all hope.

“You should’ve arrived earlier," he quips upon seeing Jack, who is carrying two shopping bags and wearing a Slayer t-shirt.

“Apologies, sir. Not exactly a morning person. I think it's the whole being a demon thing.” Jack lets himself in, depositing the bags on Alex’s couch.

“I don't care, I've been freaking out since morning. Awsten broke an arm falling down the stairs.”

“Ha.” Jack turns to look at Alex with something that looks like sad satisfaction. “Our friend Steve is starting to show his cards. Soon enough we’ll find something that will lead us straight to him, don't you worry.”

“Alright then, how do you propose we do it then? What’s this guy’s agenda? There’s so many questions and you’re not answering a single one of them.”

“Hey. Hey, angel. No panicking, okay?” Jack pats Alex’s arm and the gesture has a weird, calming effect on Alex. “We’re taking things one step at a time. First, you’re gonna help me install some security cameras in the kid’s house.”

“Security cameras? That’s your best solution? Jesus Christ. I thought you were a fucking demon.” This is not a solution, this is like some lame movie about amateur crime fighters that has a 33% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Alex could have come up with it himself, only he didn’t because this idea is _stupid_.

“Oh, I am a demon alright, don't you worry your pretty head about it,” Jack replies sarcastically, swiftly gesturing his hands to generate a small flame that lights up his face, turning it strangely scary and strangely alluring for a blink of an eye. “So far it’s the best and the only solution we have, unless you’re willing to stand in the middle of the street and yell Steve’s name until he shows up, kidnaps you Upstairs and tries to exchange you for bail.”

Alex shuts up. He doesn't really want to do that. That really takes the glory element out of the equation.

“Thought so. Help me with the cameras then, will you? When will your Geoff boy visit his poor injured friend?”

“In half an hour,” Alex says, still annoyed that they have no plan other than Jack’s, but knowing doing it his way is better than not doing anything at all. “They’re having band practice in Awsten’s basement.”

“See, that’s just perfect. I’m gonna sneak in and install the cameras in the kid’s bedroom, the kitchen, the bathroom I guess? I only got four. I guess we should have one in the basement as well, but we can do that when they're all gone to school Monday morning or whatever. I got microphones too, so we can get some nice audio.”

“You’re just gonna sneak in,” Alex deadpans.

“Yeah. You’re gonna help me safely navigate the house using your Geoff vision. Sound good?”

“Sounds like… like we don't have a better plan right now,” Alex sighs. “How exactly are we going to communicate?”

“Oh, I’ve come prepared.” Jack reaches into one of his shopping bags and hands Alex a Bluetooth headset. “We’ll talk on the phone,” Jack says like he just invented the wheel.

“Come on. Do you think I can have a freaking demon’s number on my Upstairs-issued and Upstairs-monitored phone?” Alex really can’t. That would be an instant kill to his mission and he’d be pulled immediately.

“I came prepared for that too.” Jack reaches deeper into the shopping bag and pulls out a box containing a brand new iPhone. “Your boy thinks, you know. Got you a burner. You can't say I didn't do my homework. Now come on, turn it on, we don't have much time.”

With his heart on his sleeve, Alex navigates Jack to Awsten’s house and then through its mostly empty corridors. Awsten’s parents are enjoying some wine in the backyard, so Jack manages to avoid them. He’s almost busted by a small, loud dog, but he uses a mild sleeping curse on it and passes by unnoticed. Jack makes quick work of installing the cameras in places where they shouldn't be noticed. He makes Alex check if they work and when everything is confirmed to work correctly, Jack makes his way back to Alex’s house.

Awsten spills a glass of Coke over himself. Not a life-threatening accident, just annoying.

Jack comes back ten minutes later with messy hair and cheeks flushed red. “Oh man. I’m so proud of our teamwork. We should have a nice makeout session to celebrate.”

“Shut the fuck up, Jack, and look at the footage with me. We need to check what to improve on Monday.” Alex is already engrossed in watching the feed from three different cameras on his laptop screen, but he feels the warmth of Jack’s body dropping on the couch next to him, pressing close.

“Alright, buzzkill. Do you have some cheese and wine?”

This evening is the inauguration of many more evenings spent watching security camera footage and not making nearly enough progress.

***

“Tell me, Jack. How exactly does anyone escape Hell?”

Jack chuckles. He is stuffing his face with hot dogs Alex prepared (Jack likes to eat. It doesn’t affect his body in the slightest, but he just does it for the taste) and reluctantly looking through Alex’s DVD collection that actually came with the house. “I wish I’d known.”

“You don’t?”

“Nah, man. I’m low-level. Very low level. Shit tier, I’d say. I’ve been dead for five years now and they don’t even let me into the inner circles of Hell. I’m still stuck on third.”

Alex is just nodding at all this brand new information about Downstairs, realizing he probably must’ve daydreamed during that lecture. Here’s to hoping his face doesn’t show how stupid he’s feeling.

“So, I sort of volunteered when I found out we had a renegade, someone who is messing up the non-aggression pact between us and you guys. I needed something to show for, you know? They didn’t tell me shit about the Steve dude though. Only that he’s relatively dangerous, and a felon. I’m pretty sure they will kill him as soon as I bring him back.” Jack takes the final bite of the hot dog and pulls out _Catch Me If You Can_ from the shelf. “Aw man, I love a nice Leo movie.”

“So, if I’m getting this right,” Alex starts, checking into his Geoff vision for a second. The kid has given up on Math homework and started playing Fortnite. “You put yourself on this mission. Because you want to jump up the ranks.”

“Exactly. I’m done being a shit tier demon, this seems doable, especially with the help of a mid tier angel like yourself,” Jack winks at Alex. “Come and watch the movie now. We need this for, you know, mental hygiene or whatever.”

***

Jack drinks.

He shows up with a new bottle of something every evening, finding unused, appropriate glassware deep within Alex’s cupboards. Alex tries everything, but even if he likes the taste, he never finishes his drinks. They don't seem to be doing anything for him. He’s doing it for the company. He spends a lot of time switching between monitoring Awsten via security camera feeds and his usual Geoff tasks, both leaving him with plenty of time to spare as Jack is looking through volumes of old, old banned books trying to find a viable method to summon a demon.

“When you drink, do you even feel anything at all? I don't,” Alex asks, levitating the glass in front of his face for a second, dark gold whiskey swishing inside, the bitter taste coating his tongue.

Jack raises his eyes from some ancient book he’s defiling with colorful highlighters and smirks. “Alex. Do you know what it’s like to be a demon on Earth? You don't, obviously. Well. It hurts.” Jack picks up another highlighter and starts balancing it between his long fingers. “It’s like constantly being burned from the inside, you feel? You get used to it after a while, but you’re never fully comfortable with it. This?” Jack points to a glass of whiskey standing next to the ancient texts he’s studying. “This dulls it a little. So no, I don't feel all the great things humans feel after drinking, but I feel less - bad.”

The urge to leave his armchair and run to comfort Jack is so strong Alex takes another swig of whiskey to resist it. He’s trying to reach the demon with his healing powers instead, remembering they don't work on his kind, but it won't hurt to try, right?

“Thanks, Alex," Jack says quietly, having felt something after all. “I appreciate the effort.”

***

Geoff’s feelings towards Awsten are changing.

Alex knows, of course, but he chooses to stay in denial for as long as possible, because he knows how much pain this ordeal will bring. Everything starts the day Awsten breaks his arm. Since then, more often than not, Geoff is overwhelmed with desire to take care of the other boy. Days go by and he’s looking for accidental touches, twirling his hair when talking to Awsten, blushing at some of Awsten’s lewd comments. One day he’s in the middle of a Biology class googling “gentle breakup techniques” and Alex nearly facepalms.

Long afternoons turn into very late evenings and Jack is still searching through the ancient books. “Why is it so hard to find a summoning recipe that doesn’t call for virgin blood?” He runs his fingers through his hair in frustration and then rubs his eyes. “I’m so done for tonight. Can I crash in your bedroom for a while? Just a nap. Won’t be long.” Not really waiting for Alex’s answer, Jack stands up and makes his way towards the bedroom.

“A nap? It’s almost 1AM, Jack! That’s just called going to sleep! What if I want to sleep too?”

“I’m sure we’ll both fit there comfortably,” Jack mumbles, and it’s the last thing Alex hears from him. Alex goes to bed himself a little after 2AM, Geoff and Awsten both asleep at their respective homes. Jack has courteously left the right side of the bed free for Alex and, coincidentally, it’s the side Alex prefers to sleep on. The demon is already buried in the covers, but most of his clothes are in a lump on the floor, so Alex wants to assume Jack left at least his underwear on.

He doesn’t have much time to dwell on this though, because sleep claims him almost immediately after he puts his head on the pillow.

The night is already slowly giving way to day when Alex’s eyes snap open, a scream escaping his mouth as he sits up in bed, head filled with panic and it takes only half a second for him to realize this isn’t his own panic; it’s Geoff’s. Jack is right there, suddenly fully alert, pressing his warm, naked body to Alex’s back, wrapping him in a calming hug. “What’s up, babe? What happened?”

“Geoff. He’s - he just realized he’s in love with him.”

“With the A-kid?” 

Alex can only nod as Jack’s hands firmly pull him down towards the pillows again. The panicky fog slowly subsides while Jack aligns his body as the big spoon and never stops caressing Alex’s hair.

“This is fine. It doesn’t change anything.”

Alex accepts the white lie for what it is - an attempt at making him feel better. “Jack? Virgin blood or no, we gotta fucking do it. We gotta summon Steve before Geoff does something stupid.”

“Alright. Alright, babe. I just need a little more time. Just a little bit.” Alex feels a soft kiss at the back of his neck where his hair starts, and then Jack nuzzles his face there, breathing slowly, searching for Alex’s hands and covering them with his. Alex’s entire body willingly sinks into the comfort. His soul is still putting up a bit of a fight, but it’s just irrelevant background noise.

From that moment on, things get much easier for some reason.

A barrier has fallen between the two of them.

*** 

Geoff jacks off to Awsten’s Facebook profile photo, fails a Chemistry test and cries into the pillow. Awsten helps his dad clean the garage, stares wistfully at his guitar, throws a rubber chicken at Jawn’s window at 2 in the morning and it ricochets to hit Awsten in the head.

Alex worries. Jack eats some McDonald’s and tells him to let it go.

***

The first time it happens, Alex allows it to take him by surprise.

Tired from hours of careful stakeout of Awsten’s house, he remembers dozing off with his head on Jack’s shoulder and wakes up to gentle kisses being placed all over his face, which is cradled in Jack’s big, warm hands. Alex opens his eyes and mouth to weakly mutter, “Stop," but Jack replies, “You don't want me to," and Alex realizes he doesn't.

They meet halfway for a hungry, open-mouthed kiss. Alex’s world rattles in its hinges. Jack’s tongue slides in, brushes against Alex’s, their teeth meet and Alex takes a shaky half-breath when he feels Jack biting on his lower lip. His head starts to spin and he doesn't stop to ask himself what he’s doing as he’s scrambling to touch everywhere he can reach, from Jack’s broad shoulders, through the tanned skin of his back down to where the hem of his jeans rests against his ass.

“You’re trying to taint me,” Alex whispers in between kisses, letting Jack push him to the pillows and pin his hands over his head.

“Taint you? What’s dirty about this? This is only pure, human and beautiful,” Jack says, and his usual mocking smile is gone from his face as he regards Alex: his trembling body underneath him, his heaving chest, his shining eyes.

Alex is not supposed to act human. He is not meant to be weak in a human way, not used to feeling pleasure and pain and the delicious mix of them both, not used to how intoxicating that is. But he _wants it_ , he realizes, Jack a dark cloud over him, his hot tongue licking stripes down the muscles of Alex’s stomach. There’s electric tingling in his body starting all the way in the tips of his toes and nothing he remembers has ever felt this good.

Jack is devilish, Jack is bad news, Jack is like all of Alex’s secret desires personified and Alex doesn't want it with anyone else but him.

He’s not even fully conscious when he buries his fingers in Jack’s dark hair, Alex’s zipper open, his underwear hastily pushed out of the way and Jack’s tongue all over his cock.

Alex breathes in. The air is cold. His head falls back and hits the pillow. He doesn’t consciously remember anything about his life as a human, but his body does; muscle memory kicks in, his hips rise from the bed and start thrusting into Jack’s mouth. Alex checks for Jack’s reaction, but Jack accommodates in a flash and keeps dragging his mouth up and down Alex’s cock like there’s no tomorrow. Now, Alex can also see how Jack’s hand is deep inside his own pants and that he’s vigorously touching himself to the rhythm.

 _This is sin,_  Alex is thinking. Eating an entire bag of Doritos in one sitting is sin too, but there’s no comparison, because nothing compares to _this_ , nothing compares to drenching all of your senses in something as devilish as this, something that has everything to do with bodies and the pleasure they give and take. Jack looks up at Alex, feeling him stir first and stiffen later, Alex’s body performing a very human task of coming down Jack’s throat. Jack swallows everything with a vague smile and Alex is so blissed out he could sing about it, even when Jack comes all over his stomach and t-shirt seconds later.

“You never told me -," Alex mutters, not sure how to finish the sentence, and he never gets to finish it because Jack crawls up his side, no attempts at cleaning up the mess, turns Alex’s face towards himself and starts kissing Alex in a slow, lazy way, like he claimed him, like this is their new reality and, again, Alex finds himself not minding that in the slightest.

*** 

“How did you first find me, Jack? How did you know where I was?”

“Easy. You guys have a very powerful energy. Aura, right? We can feel it, see it even, if we’re close enough. I looked up where Geoff lived, and then I just searched carefully from there.”

“Do I have an aura right now?”

“Oh yeah. It’s very nice. Pearly white. It makes you look so beautiful.”

***

Two days later, Alex finds Jack at his doorstep at 6 in the morning when he’s coming back from a grocery run. He made sure to pass both Geoff’s and Awsten’s houses on his way; everything looked calm and seemingly normal. Jack, however, is far from calm, bags underneath his eyes and an unhealthy fire lighting up his face from within. At this point Alex can't be sure whether it's real or if he’s just seeing things; Jack is very well-versed in the art of temporary visual illusion.

Alex woke up alone that morning, very disappointed and honestly a little sad, realizing that 72 hours are enough to get used to closeness, intimacy and getting off with a very fit demon twice a day.

“I went out when you fell asleep, and worked all night. Full moon. I killed some rabbits. Don’t mind the blood.” Jack picks up a bag from the doorstep and, indeed, there are traces of blood on the stone. Trying hard not to frown in disgust, Alex lets Jack into the house before anyone sees how shady their behavior is. Luckily, nobody is awake at 6AM in the suburbs. “We’re gonna do it tonight.”

“We’re gonna do _it_? As in, summon Steve?”

“Yeah. I got everything to make the curse work, it’s not that hard and it’s pretty… modern, if it weren’t for the rabbits.”

“I don’t even want to know how you got them,” Alex states, and Jack nods.

“Yeah, figured as much. Can you put some plastic wrap over - there, in the living room. By the window. Should be fine if we close the curtains.”

With a mix of extreme fear, careful respect and a dash of amusement, Alex spends the next half an hour watching Jack prepare a very bloody mixture and then use it to paint complicated symbols on the plastic wrap covering Alex’s floor. There’s something intoxicating in the way Jack moves, swift and sure of himself, smudges of blood on his white t-shirt and there’s so many things Alex wants to tell him, only he doesn’t know where to begin.

“I like looking at you,” he says to start things off, it’s nearing 7AM in his living room darkened by the drawn curtains and Jack smirks at him. _There’s falling from grace and there’s this_ , Alex is thinking, vividly remembering Jack coming inside him last night, and Alex doesn't even know what regret is anymore. Regret certainly doesn't have the taste of Jack’s lips.

“I like looking at you too, angel. There's not a time of day or night when I don't like looking at you.”

Alex maybe blushes. Maybe. Jack keeps painting the symbols for a while longer, then a pentagram around them, then washes his hands in the kitchen sink where Alex catches him, helps him take his bloody t-shirt off, pushes him against the kitchen counter.

“I like touching you, too, you know," Alex whispers into Jack’s mouth after Jack jumps to sit on the kitchen counter and wraps his legs around Alex’s waist.

“Oh, do you,” Jack teases, but they’re already too far gone to keep on talking, too busy making out and letting all the thoughts escape from their heads, filtered by desire that doesn’t leave much room for anything else. Maybe they could lose themselves somehow. Go off the grid so that neither Heaven nor Hell ever finds them. Maybe they could become mortal and just die someday, even though they already died once. But fuck, Jack would never want that. Jack is a demon. Jack has an agenda, he wants to go up the ranks, he’s ruthless and cruel and his soft spot for Alex is just what it says on the tin - a soft spot. They have work to do together and they’re having some fun in the meantime. That’s all it is. Alex is not stupid. Jack would never sacrifice anything for him.

No point even considering any of this.

“So, do we actually work on this heavily important mission that we have on our hands, or do we jerk each other off first? What’s it gonna be, babe: minds or bodies?” Jack asks, his hands in Alex’s hair, moving strands of it behind his ear, deciding against it, moving it back.

“Bodies first, please. Stupid, stupid bodies.”

“Hey, your body isn’t stupid. Stop insulting yourself.”

Jack giggles wildly when Alex manhandles him off the kitchen counter and carries him to the couch.

***

“So, Alex. There’s one more element to our plan that we haven’t talked about yet.” Jack avoids looking Alex in the eye while pulling his pants back on and a ball of fear settles in Alex’s throat.

“One more element? Other than summoning an actual demon into my actual house where I actually live? What is it, Jack?” Alex sits up on the couch, his body still lazy and blissed out, crossing his arms on his chest. Time of being soft for Jack is over, they have work to do now and Alex will see it through.

“I’m gonna have to torture him, you know, right? He might scream. He might get hurt and try to hurt us and it might be ugly. Your powers won’t work on him and he knows that, so it’s basically just me against him, okay?”

Jack stands with his back turned to the light. Not only does he look dark, he _is_ a dark creature, but in this moment he’s being stupidly kind and bright.

“I’m not a child, alright? I can handle a bit of torture, Jack. I won’t interfere.” _But I know how I can intimidate him,_ Alex doesn’t say.

Jack is going to get an element of surprise, too.

***

At 6PM, Jack carefully casts a complicated spell in Latin, and tosses some leaves that look like basil into a small fire in a bucket in the middle of the bloody pentagram.

Nothing happens.

One minute passes, then another. Alex is stood a few feet away from Jack, but he can feel the tension in the demon’s very bones.

“Look, Jack, maybe-" he starts, but the flame from the bucket suddenly jumps way up, almost up to the ceiling, then disappears completely and a figure appears in front of them.

It’s a man. A young man, perhaps younger than Jack and Alex when they died. He’s got messy bright purple hair, big round sunglasses on, a thick winter coat with fur on the hood and those stupid sneakers with soles that light up. They’re glimmering pink and purple. 

He pushes the sunglasses up into his hair, revealing bright, youthful eyes settled in a face that disturbingly reminds Alex of someone, and he laughs. “Yoooo, what the fuck is going on here?” He looks around, from Jack in a power stance, wielding the biggest of Alex’s kitchen knives, through the pentagram and bloody sigils painted on plastic wrap, to Alex standing a couple steps away trying hard not to lose it, and he laughs even louder, folding his hands and taking a mocking bow. “A demon and an angel? All of this for little old me? Aww, you shouldn’t have.”

Jack seems to be refraining from taking a step back. “Alright, party’s over, you weird gangsta wannabe. Tell us where the angel is, and we’ll let you go.”

Alex is pretty sure they didn’t plan exactly _how_ they’re going to let Steve go, but Jack’s voice doesn’t betray any uncertainty. They would be so, so fucked without Jack.

“The angel? What angel? Other than our good friend right here? They’re all useless anyway, why would I even care?”

Okay, Alex doesn’t have to take mockery and insults and turn the other cheek, right? Especially from someone who looks as stupid as _this_? He steps towards the demon, but Jack stops him with a firm, extended hand, the one that’s not wielding a knife. “Don’t, Alex.”

“ _Don’t, Alex!_ Aww, this is so damn cute I think I’m gonna cry! You two are twue fwends.”

Alex hates this guy so, so much. Even if he wasn’t a dangerous rogue Hell escapee, just a human, he would be the most annoying creature the world has ever seen and Alex would not hesitate to punch him in his smug face.

“So, homies? Let me go, alright? You don’t have to make these scary faces. I’m just down here on Earth having some fun. Y’know, sticking my tongue out at kids… eating ass... drinking chocolate milk mixed with vodka… tipping strippers, you know I figured out a way to make a one dollar note look like a five dollar note? The girls _love me_.”

“You’re a douchebag, man.”

“Thanks!” Steve takes off his winter jacket that nobody needs in the middle of May, and lets it fall to the floor. “It’s so hot around here, boys. Maybe it's the fire you just made me come out of. Maybe it's all the sexual tension between the two of you. Also, you know this summoning curse won’t work again, right? Good luck trying to find another one, losers, because I ain’t tellin’ you shit today.”

Alex is not going to panic. There must be a plan. Jack wouldn't do this recklessly, right?

“We know you’re holding an angel hostage, preventing them from doing their job. You’re putting a human in harm’s way, too. That's not something you just get away with. Even if you're from Hell.” Alex keeps praying for his voice not to crack. He’s feeling intimidated even without it, thank you. “So cut the crap, Steve.”

“They call me Felony now. Felony Steve if you’re nasty.”

“Felony. That’s ridiculous,” Jack chuckles, slowly walking in circles around the other demon who seems to still be effectively trapped inside the pentagram. Alex is definitely _not_ thinking about how hot Jack looks right now, radiating energy and focus, a loose t-shirt revealing his collarbones, his- no, Alex has to concentrate. There’s a major threat in the middle of the living room.

“Ridiculous? What’s ridiculous is you, a devil’s creation, working together with an angel.” Steve spits the word _angel_ out like it’s burning his tongue, and gives Alex a look like he’s dirt at the bottom of his fancy sneaker. “Are you sleeping with him, too? Holed up here in a little house, doing your little investigation, trying to get me, all lovey-dovey and disgusting? But guess what? They don’t sell cheese at the jewellery store.”

“What? What are you even talking about? Where’s Awsten’s guardian angel? What did you do with them?” Jack keeps circling, his face lit up red and his eyes burning dark, but none of it seems to have any threatening effect on Felony.

“You’ve gone soft, Jack. Oh, surprised I know your name? I know everything, sweetie. I can’t believe you’ve gone soft for _this,_ ” he says, gesturing Alex’s way vaguely and dismissively.

Alex’s blood boils. Maybe his element of surprise needs to happen now; maybe he’s waited long enough. He rips off his t-shirt, not really considering how stupid this must look, but the silliness is over the next second when he spreads his wings, instantly filling up half the room, then takes off his ring and throws it over his head where it expands into a proper, shiny halo.

There. Felony Steve’s mouth is hanging open while he’s staring at Alex, whose aura currently shines brighter than the neon LEDs of Steve’s shoes. Jack doesn’t waste that split second of distraction, throwing himself at Steve and drawing Alex’s kitchen knife into the flesh of the demon’s arm.

A blast of powerful, white light knocks Alex off his feet, and out of consciousness.

***

(“Geoff?! Geoff, are you alright?”

“Yeah, yeah, I- I’m sorry. I got very lightheaded and… did I pass out? Aws? What are you doing?”

“Shut up, I’m going to kiss you now.”

“That’s... Aws, I - mmm…”)

***

The kitchen knife is on the table, all covered in Felony’s blood, wrapped in some tinfoil for protection. Jack says it’s going to be more than enough to track Felony now using some other ancient curse Jack looked up, they just need to wait a couple days until he stops being careful.

 _The man has never been careful in his life_ , Alex is thinking, resting in bed wrapped in Jack’s limbs. Jack is busy kissing the scars between Alex’s shoulder blades where wings come out of, like they’re not ugly, like they’re not revolting, like they deserve care and attention, and Alex is so dumbfounded by it.

The blast that knocked Alex off his feet was Felony Steve leaving the premises, utilizing some of his stolen powers. Alex is trying to focus on something, anything, make sure he doesn’t have brain damage from the fall, but his thoughts are all over the place, mostly drifting to the feeling of Jack’s lips on his skin, his hot hands on Alex’s hips.

“You’re being careful with me, aren’t you?” Alex asks out of nowhere, the words just coming out and there they are and he can’t take them back. Jack and him don’t really talk about _this_ , they don’t mention any feelings because there’s nothing there, right? Nothing to talk about.

“I am,” Jack answers quickly and honestly.

Maybe it’s all because Alex is an angel. He is the good one. Maybe Jack sees him as less powerful, in which case Alex is gonna need to interfere. Maybe it’s just because Alex hit his head. Maybe… “Why?”

“Because I’m in love with you.”

Jack’s hands stop moving, but stay on Alex’s hips. Alex can feel Jack’s breath on his shoulder blades, but he doesn’t make to turn around. Jack, however, continues talking. “I know people wait a while longer with this kind of revelations. But I was one of the people and I never told that to anyone. So. Maybe I never truly felt it? Maybe I did, and I was a coward. All I know is, I’m not a coward anymore, and I’m in love with you. I want you to know. I’m gonna keep you safe and unharmed, even if it kills me. By whatever means necessary. And I have a lot of means,” Jack says to Alex’s back.

Slowly, Alex decides to turn around in Jack’s embrace. Jack’s face is flushed, his eyes glassy. “You’re not going to hurt me, Jack. Not you. You can stop being careful with me, then.”

“You sure?” Jack asks, uncertain, touching Alex’s face wonderingly.

“Positive.” One swift move and Alex is sitting on top of Jack, having him pinned to the bed, breathing hard and heavy. “Ruin me. Destroy me. Make me fucking gasp for breath. Show me how much you care. And then put me back together again. Make me say it back,” Alex whispers, hoping to turn Jack on, and yeah, it’s working alright, Jack’s cock quickly hardening right where Alex can see it. “Can you do that for me?”

Jack doesn’t reply, he just gets to work.

***

Morning comes running and Alex is still awake, barely breathing, exhausted and covered in sweat, his body decorated with dozens of bruises, Jack’s tongue dipping in and out of his asshole, teasing him mercilessly, making his head spin, not letting him come for hours on end and Alex is either going to explode or just die.

“I hate you so much,” he moans out, which only results in Jack pulling his tongue out, and, okay, maybe not Alex’s brightest idea.

“That’s not the sentiment I wanted to hear,” Jack answers, but that gets him to untie Alex’s hands from where they were tied to the bedpost with leather belts. Alex is not sure whether he wants to jerk himself off immediately or just slap Jack in the face, but he decides to just quickly turn around on the bed, push Jack’s head towards his cock and have Jack do some more work.

“You’re not hearing anything else until you make me come.”

It doesn’t take long. Alex has been driven insane from being edged for so long, so he spills into the heat of Jack’s mouth within seconds. The relief it brings would knock him off his feet if he wasn’t horizontal already. Jack holds him by the hand, a sole anchor in the sea of blinding pleasure, drives him back down slowly, all done with the roughness as he climbs into Alex’s embrace and lets Alex card through his dark hair.

They remain in silence for a moment. Jack grabs Alex’s hand and stares at the rose tattoo there, carefully, like he’s trying to understand. The letters next to the flower, T.E.G., have been bothering Alex for over 17 years now.

“What are the letters about? A loved one from way back when?” Jack asks, his eyes not leaving the lines of the rose, and he sounds vulnerable. Alex almost doesn't want the tattoo to be dedicated to a former loved one.

“I have no idea.”

“What?”

“Angels have no memory of their past human lives, didn’t you know? I thought you did.”

Jack is shaking his head vigorously, having risen up on his elbow in consternation. “I had no idea. That’s completely fucked.”

“I was sure you knew… We never talked about this, you never asked…”

“Because I figured you didn’t want to talk about it! This is… Alex, whenever we’re done with all of this, we can- I can find out about your past life. It shouldn’t be that hard, you deserve to know, you-"

“It’s alright. I don’t- it’s better if I don’t know anything. I’m perfectly good like that.”

“You sure?” Jack seems unconvinced, but Alex nods.

“I am.”

Here, in the moment with Jack, Alex doesn't care for any of it. He doesn't need the memories of his past life, doesn’t need to know what he’s missing, how bad or how good it was. He is here now and everything is insane, but, for some reason, it seems to be working. Jack gives him a kiss on the forehead.

“Look, Jack. I’m not good at this since I have, like, no experience.”

“Aww, babe, give yourself some credit! You made me come like four times tonight,” Jack blinks suggestively.

“That’s not what I mean. I- I have been dying of boredom for the last 17 years. Now you’re here and not only am I not bored anymore, I’m- I’m angry and anxious and happy and excited and lost and pleased and terrified and so, so fucking alive with you.” Alex takes a deep breath, waiting for the air to fill his lungs. It’s getting brighter and brighter in the bedroom, Jack has absolutely no modesty so they're both naked on top of the bed with absolutely no covers, and not much else can really be said. “You’re a fucking demon, Jack. I am an angel and I’m not old enough to know anything. I have no idea how love’s supposed to feel like, but if it's anything like the books and movies suggest it is-"

“Then what?”

“Then I’m in love with you too.”

Jack pretends to look at a watch he’s obviously not wearing. “Damn, that took you a while.”

“Shut up, oh my God.” Alex wants to smack Jack with a pillow, but all the pillows are too far away, on the floor somewhere, so he attempts smothering him with a kiss instead.

***

They have time now. Just a couple of days, sure, but still there’s time. Alex starts watching Awsten extra carefully, worried that Felony Steve might mess with him harder now, but luckily, everything seems to be normal. Well, _their_ normal; a 17-year-old living without a guardian angel is far from ideal. There’s also another circumstance making Alex’s job easier - by some unexplained turn of events, Geoff and Awsten are now dating and the amount of time they spend together increases dramatically.

“That’s good. Easier to protect them both if they’re in the same place,” mumbles Jack through a mouthful of cheese pizza, peering at the screen showing Awsten’s bedroom where the boy is choosing an outfit for the evening.

“They’re going to tell their friends tonight”, Alex says, involved and engaged like he’s watching a romantic comedy, leaning towards the screen.

“Oh, they are? I hope they’re meeting in Awsten’s basement so I can watch too.”

“You’re in luck, they are.”

“Fuck, that’s awesome. Let me pop by the store to grab some popcorn, can I take your car? Thanks!” Jack is already running to the door, scooping Alex’s car keys from a bowl in the hallway.

“Popcorn? That’s disrespectful,” Alex tries, but Jack is already gone.

At the evening meeting, the boys play Guitar Hero for two hours first, Geoff experiencing a dangerous ego trip caused by how good he is at the game and Jack gets bored watching, so he climbs into Alex’s lap and initiates a makeout session. As long as Alex can hear the noises of the game, he’s more than okay with it, the warmth of Jack’s skin burning through his clothes, their tongues busy with their own wicked game. Being involved with someone is very… involving, but that doesn’t discourage Alex from pulling Jack closer by the nape of his hair to make him moan.

Alex nearly misses the moment when the boys give up the game, but when he feels a twist in his stomach that has nothing to do with Jack biting on his neck and everything to do with Geoff’s increasing stress level, Alex pushes the demon off his lap so they can watch the moment.

“Way to cockblock me, man,” Jack whines, but Alex pats his knee and tells him to look.

Alex really, really wants it to go well for Geoff and Awsten. Their new blossoming relationship has been bringing them a lot of happiness, beautiful in a way only silly, teenage relationships can be beautiful, and it’s only fair for their closest friends to accept it and wish them luck.

“Guys, guys, there’s this thing I want to tell you,” Awsten starts, standing next to Geoff, brushing shoulders with the other boy and Alex can feel all the panicked butterflies Geoff is feeling. Otto, Jawn and Travis look at Awsten and Geoff with varying degrees of confusion when Awsten’s grabs Geoff by the hand. “We’re dating now. Hope you guys are gonna be happy for us, but if not, there’s the door.” Awsten’s voice is a bit shaky, but Geoff breathes a huge sigh of relief when the news is finally out.

On the couch next to Alex, Jack is stuffing buttered popcorn into his mouth.

“Fucking finally!” exclaims Otto, leaping forward to wrap both Awsten and Geoff in a giant hug. The other boys don’t hesitate even a second before joining and it ends with the five of them making a circle, jumping around and cheering.

To say it goes well is an understatement.

Alex is horrified when he feels his eyes welling up. He wipes a stray tear, quickly, hoping Jack won’t notice, but it doesn’t work; demons have crazy fast reflexes.

“Are you crying?” Jack asks softly, not mockingly, puts the popcorn bowl away and climbs back into Alex’s lap, cradling his face. “You’re the most wonderful creature in all of the world, I swear.”

***

“I think we need to start looking for help.”

Jack looks up from the list of ingredients necessary to cast the blood curse that is supposed to lead them to Felony. He is sprawled on the floor next to the couch where Alex is seated, not so successfully trying to memorize a spell in Latin. “I was afraid you were gonna say that.”

“Afraid? Look, Jack. I know we’ve been having fun being a dynamic duo or whatever, and we can do the blood tracking by ourselves just fine, but if you want to actually bring Felony in this time around, we’re gonna need some manpower. _Demonic_ manpower, if you get me.”

Jack sighs. “I know. I was just putting that off as much as possible.”

“Why is that?”

“Because every demon I know around here is a fucking asshole.”

“Well, you’re gonna have to bite the bullet.” Alex reaches out to mess with Jack’s hair. Jack leans into the touch only for a second before he decides to stand up.

“Let’s go then, shall we? Or are you gonna let me go see Brendon alone?”

Alex didn’t expect everything to happen so quickly, but then again, perhaps it would be best to stop expecting anything and just go with the flow. “Brendon?”

“Yeah. He’s very hot.”

“O- okay then,” Alex decides, jumping off the couch to grab a jacket and follow Jack outside.

***

Brendon lives in a fucking waterfront mansion in Baytown.

The gate is locked with some dark magic Jack can thankfully neutralize, so they walk into the front yard without problems. The tall fence covered in vines makes it impossible to see the street outside, and there’s no street on the other side of the yard, just a vast expanse of the bay. There’s a black Lamborghini parked carelessly in front of the mansion, a vanity plate reading DEM0N. The mansion is modern, all straight lines, edges and panoramic windows.

Alex is about to have an aneurysm.

“So what exactly does Brendon do around here? To warrant living like this?” Alex asks, gobsmacked by all the opulence, trying to avoid all the grass sprinkles that are tirelessly working in the garden, keeping it vibrant green.

“Oh, he’s a weather demon. He causes bad dry spells, hurricanes, pouring rain, makes lightning strike people every once in a while and so on. Not so glamorous as being a disease demon or a bad entertainment demon, but not too bad either.”

Alex has no time to ask what a bad entertainment demon exactly does, because that’s when Brendon himself decides to show up at the doorstep before Jack and Alex even reach it.

“Well well well. Jack Barakat? In my humble abode? To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Brendon grins, his smile disturbingly perfect, as is the rest of him. He’s got a perfectly toned body, tattooed forearms peeking out of a tailored white shirt, carelessly stuffed into black skinny jeans. His hair is dark, lustrous and quiffed over his forehead, showing off deep brown eyes and enviable bone structure. He is hot in a way only a demon can be hot.

Jack makes his way up a couple steps to stand in front of Brendon. Alex is hovering a foot behind him. “You’re gonna love this, Bren. I came to ask for help.”

Brendon grins even wider. “Oh, that’s fucking _delicious_. And who are you?” he asks, sparing Alex a short look.

“I’m Alex, I’m-”

“I’ve just decided that I don’t care. But come in, guys, plead your case.”

The inside of Brendon’s house is just as posh as the outside; minimalistic, but still screaming _big money_. The demon goes through the trouble of fixing up two glasses of ice water and sits them down in his spacious living room with a bay view.

Like second nature, Jack reaches for Alex’s hand as soon as Brendon sits down opposite of them.

“Ugh, no hand-holding in my house. Gross,” Brendon winces, but Jack doesn’t let go.

“Brendon, drop the fucking act and listen to me, alright?” Jack leans forward, his eyes flashing fiery red for a second, and Brendon’s self-assured grin finally disappears.

“Fine, fine. I’m all ears. But please, for the love of Satan, don’t let this be boring.”

Alex lets Jack do all the talking and doesn’t even touch the water Brendon offered, afraid it might be poisoned.

***

“Holy shit, I need a drink,” Jack breathes out as soon as they’re out of Brendon’s mansion and the gate automatically closes behind them. “You wanna help me find the nearest bar on Google Maps and join me for drinks? It will be like a date.”

“ _Like_ a date?” Alex teases, although he is nothing but inclined to agree. Their sit-down with Brendon was an exhausting mess and they both need to chill out. Awsten’s house can be monitored via an app and Jack is looking exceptionally hot today.

 _He is like Brendon, but better,_ Alex thinks, his feelings amplified by the way Jack behaved towards the other demon, his decisiveness, way with words and bravery. _Better because he’s mine, and, all things considered, not so much of an asshole._

“Okay, fine. It will be  _a date_. Deal? We can even get to second base in the car later,” Jack promises, pulling out his phone to go on Google Maps.

They end up in a place called Don’s, just a couple blocks away. The beers are alright, there’s food and a booth that gives them relative privacy.

“So Brendon was a delight,” Alex comments, smiling weakly as Jack is wiping beer foam off his upper lip. There’s cheesy country music playing and everything feels strange because Alex never socializes in a human way. Him and Jack went to Walmart together a couple times but that was it, and it still felt like they weren’t being inconspicuous enough.

“Please. He was on his best behavior. He owes me a favor from back when we were both newbies, that’s why he agreed to help us.”

Alex finds it unfair how Jack has only been a demon for five years and is already considered moderately experienced, while Alex is still a newbie himself after seventeen fucking years on a mission. _Goddamned double standards._ It’s not Jack’s fault though, and they’re on a date, so he doesn’t say a word about it. Awsten and Geoff are currently in the middle of a makeout session in Geoff’s bedroom, so Alex tries not to spy on them too often, trying to just focus on being right here, right now, with Jack. “That, and he wants some of the glory, because money comes along with glory, doesn’t it?”

“Oh yeah, sure it does. That’s why I have none to my name and still have to live in a motel,” Jack laughs. In his human life, he was in a touring band playing guitar, so he didn’t see much money either.

“Well, I don’t think you’ve slept there in like a month or so,” Alex replies, knowing that Jack has practically moved into Alex’s place and neither of them even acknowledged it. It just felt natural. Jack has unnoticeably made his way into Alex’s house, his pants, his bed, his-

“I can start paying half the rent if you insist,” Jack says, leaning forward so that their faces are brushing against each other in a non-kiss that gives Alex shivers.

“Or you can hold your end in different ways like you’ve been doing so far.”

Would it be stupid and risky to just start kissing Jack right here, in the middle of a bar? Alex decides that yeah, it probably would, so he leans back slightly and just puts his hand on Jack’s knee under the table.

Three beers and a lot of chicken wings in, Alex doesn’t feel even the slightest buzz in his head, but Jack is visibly relaxed and smiling, which sends Alex’s thoughts the way of how sweet and pliant Jack is going to be in bed later.

“So I was thinking,” Alex says, trying to get one last conscious thought in before his mind goes fully pornographic. “While we’re going to be busy trying to corner Felony, someone needs to watch over the boys.”

“Hmm, yeah, you’re right. Who do you have in mind?”

“I remember you telling me you’ve tried to reach out to Otto’s and Jawn’s guardian angels, and that they live together? Maybe I can try talking to them, see if they’re willing to help.”

“They weren’t willing to help at all when I asked them. They’re going to be even harder to convince than Brendon,” Jack mumbles.

“Yeah, but this time, I’ll do all the talking. You did so great with Brendon, let me take the lead with the angels.” Alex is hoping against hope they will have some respect for him and won't kick him out on sight.

“Sure, babe. You know I love it when you take the lead,” Jack teases, his feet underneath the table hooked behind Alex’s ankles.

“Speaking of, how would you like me to fuck you in the backseat of my car? Right now?”

Jack flashes him a dirty smile and finishes his beer in two big gulps. “Why are you still talking and not undressing me, angel? I guess we can skip second base and go straight to third. But remember, I’m a slut only for you.”

Parked in the darkest corner of the parking lot, it takes fifteen minutes filled with heavy breaths, impatient kisses and greedy hands for Jack to start falling apart on top of Alex, hands wrapped around his neck, foreheads pressed together. “Remember when I told you I loved you?”

“Yeah?” Alex stops moving and breathing, focusing his attention on Jack’s face, because this seems important.

“Good,” Jack whispers. “I just wanted to make sure you know.”

***

“Hey Alex?” Jack starts when Alex is attempting to parallel park his car in front of the house, which is never easy.

“Yeah?”

“I didn’t want to alarm you, babe, because you were driving and all,” Jack looks up from his phone and into Alex’s eyes, “but Awsten’s house is on fire.”

***

Good news is, Awsten is not home; he fell asleep in Geoff’s bed and is currently peacefully drooling on Geoff’s chest. Bad news is, Awsten’s parents and sister are all asleep at home and no one is noticing the fire in the kitchen.

In situations like this, you don’t get extra time to think your decisions through. It’s a two-minute drive to Awsten’s house and Alex has already sent a signal Upstairs. _Save the Knights_. Jack has called 911 anonymously and there’s just one thing left to do: make a lot of noise.

Alex stops his car opposite the house. The kitchen window is broken, like someone threw something through it, and the flames are rising alarmingly fast. There’s fire brigade sirens sounding off in the distance, but all the lights inside the house are off and it’s still not enough.

“Fucking Felony Steve and his Molotov cocktails,” Jack mumbles angrily as Alex presses the horn of his car forcefully, making a noise that would wake the dead, and keeps pressing it until there’s commotion in the house, and then presses it for a while longer, not really caring who is going to see them. The fire brigade pulls up minutes later, Alex gripping Jack’s elbow so hard it would hurt if Jack was human. Geoff is already wide awake and running through the dark suburban streets in his boxers and a pair of flip flops; Alex can feel the adrenaline pumping in his veins. He’s busy watching the Knight family leave the house, disoriented and worried and carrying their pets in their arms, until Jack stirs so suddenly he knocks Alex’s hand off his elbow.

“Oh  _shit_. Alex, we have to fucking _go_. Now.”

There’s Awsten Knight himself, standing right in front of Alex’s car in nothing but a pair of boxers and Geoff’s Creeper hoodie, looking straight through the windscreen with manic eyes, Geoff half a step behind him. Alex starts the car faster than he ever did before, but the way home is too short and too winding to pick up speed and lose the boys who start running after the car and who make it around the corner just as Alex is shutting the door of the house behind Jack and himself.

Silence descends upon them, but they both know it’s fragile and temporary.

Alex looks in the demon’s eyes wordlessly, but they both seem to be at a loss. They hold their breaths and the pounding on the door sounds off mere fifteen seconds later.

_What the fuck do I do? I am not supposed to interact with the subject, not unless there’s grave danger involved, and Geoff is not in danger other than by association and he is right here. But they’ve seen us going into the house, and they’ve seen us running from them, and they’ve seen us parked in front of Awsten’s house while the kitchen was burning to crisp._

Alex is trying to make Jack understand without actually saying the words.

 _This is all so, so wrong._ Alex freezes completely, unable to ignore the pounding, unable to ignore the “Open up, we fucking saw you go in,” but his body doesn’t respond. That’s when Jack lightly pushes him out of the way.

“I know you don’t want to, but there’s nothing else left to do,” he says, opening the door wide.

They don’t get to think this through.

Awsten and Geoff are at the doorstep, their faces red from running, their hair tousled from sleep _and_ running, and while Geoff looks confused and slightly afraid, Awsten looks straight up pissed off, walking in and shoving Jack in the chest, which triggers Alex’s protective instincts right away and makes him step closer so he can intervene if needed. But who is he even trying to protect?

“What the fuck?! Why were you trying to burn my house down?!” Awsten attempts more pushing and shoving, but he finds himself unable to move his hands, as if he’s wearing invisible handcuffs. “What the-, let me fucking _go_ , I-” Awsten is jumping restlessly, Geoff holding him by the shoulders in an attempt to keep him calm.

“I will let you fucking go if you take it down a notch and let us explain. _Calmly_ ,” Jack says in the steadiest, most authoritative voice Alex has ever heard from him. “Sit down on the couch, will you? Tea? Water?”

“I won’t drink your fucking water,” Awsten spits out. Geoff is being quiet, but looking around and finally, finally, his gaze crosses with Alex’s.

Alex feels it, both himself and via his connection with Geoff. Nothing exceptionally bad happens, the world doesn’t collapse upon itself, but it’s still the strangest feeling, like he is in a locked room and there’s echo bouncing off walls constantly, attacking his brain. When he tunes into his Geoff vision, he’s seeing himself.

“Sit down, please, will you?” Alex speaks up, directing his words at Geoff, and it works like a charm like he predicted it. Geoff leans in to whisper something to Awsten, touching him softly and reassuringly, and that makes Awsten more pliant. He makes his way to the couch where he perches at the very edge of it, squeezing Geoff’s hand tightly, his body still in high alert mode. “There’s a lot to explain, so I’m going to say it as simply as I possibly can.” Alex grabs a chair so that he’s sitting in front of the boys. Jack is behind him in seconds, a hand on his shoulder, his own reassurance, giving Alex all the room to speak.

“So?” Awsten starts, impatiently.

“We didn’t try to burn your house down. We just know who did, and we found out that he did, so we went there as fast as we could to alarm your family. We called 911 as well.”

Awsten scratches his temple, definitely not convinced still. “So you know who did this? How?”

“Okay, this is where it gets weird.” Alex looks at Jack briefly, and Jack nods. There’s really no way out other than through. They have to tell the boys everything.

Instead of saying it though, Alex takes the ring off his finger and lets it expand into a halo over his head again. He doesn’t really feel like taking his clothes off, but since Geoff and Awsten are already gasping and yelling out curses, he unbuttons his shirt, shrugs it off and forces the wings to appear. He’s hovering inches above the ground, his aura lighting up the room, Awsten and Geoff curled up together on the couch in honest fear and shock and Jack giggling slightly behind his back. The display seems to have been enough, so Alex hides the wings quickly, Jack handing him the shirt to put back on. The halo can stay for now.

“I’m an angel. I’ve been sent to Earth to protect and guard. That’s what I’m trying to do. That’s how I knew there was a fire in your house.” _Totally that, and not all the security cameras we have installed_. “Someone is trying to hurt you.”

“Me? What the fuck, I have my own guardian angel?” Awsten exclaims, his eyes wide like saucers, and Alex suddenly remembers that the kid is only 17 years old.

“Well, you don’t. I’m Geoff’s guardian angel.”

Something like understanding flashes on Geoff’s face, and the brown-haired boy grins. “I _knew_ angels were real! I knew that. I felt it! Like last month, there was this cat that my dad was totally going to run over, and then it suddenly turned and started running the other way! Was that you? Did you do that?” Geoff looks up at Alex excitedly, and Alex can’t help but smile, forgetting all the times when he pinned Geoff down as boring and the mission of watching over him as not challenging.

“I did.”

“Holy fuck, that’s so cool.”

“But wait. If you’re Geoff’s angel, who’s mine? And what does it all have to do with me? How does that all connect, I-”

“There’s a demon, a very powerful one, who has kidnapped and possibly murdered your guardian angel. It was him who tried to burn your house down,” Jack says, his voice still leveled, his hand still on Alex’s arm. “It’s my mission to try and hunt him down and bring him to justice, and Alex here has been kind enough to help me out. We’ve been looking out for you together for a while now, because living without a guardian angel is, let’s say, not what the doctors ordered for a guy your age.”

“Well, that’s just - are you an angel too?” Awsten asks Jack, as he’s not even nearly as freaked out as he’s supposed to be.

“Oh no, kid, not really.” Jack’s entire body lights up in red and golden flames, another swift optical illusion, and it sends the message across just right.

Everybody is silent for a moment then. Jack makes the flames go away. Geoff is biting his nails, staring at Alex with awe and bewilderment. Awsten is still trying to connect the dots.

“Why me?” he asks, his feisty anger gone, leaving behind just a skinny teenager with bright blue hair who is currently wearing no shoes.

“We don’t know, actually,” Jack answers, and Alex isn’t sure whether they should be admitting to their own shortcomings. “Felony is a chaos agent who does whatever he wants. We feel like this is a ploy to get Heaven’s attention somehow. Maybe he wants to be bribed to keep your guardian angel alive, maybe this is just his way of gathering more power, we’re not sure.”

“Wait, did you say _Felony_?”

“Felony Steve,” Jack says with a scowl, making Awsten and Geoff seek eye contact and then simultaneously snicker.

“Wow, that’s just ridiculous, how could anyone come up with - _aw fuck_ ,” Awsten nearly screams, pulling out his phone from his pocket. “I have 15 missed calls from my mom. So I might just be murdered without Felony Steve needing to intervene.” Awsten gets up, pulling Geoff along. “Just tell me, before I bounce, what do I _do_?”

“Survive,” Jack answers. “We are almost ready to ambush him, give us two or three days. Be extra careful, alright? Don’t eat out, don’t go to parties, don’t drive, don’t-”

“Maybe stay with Geoff as much as possible without it seeming weird, okay? That’s the most efficient way for me to protect you. Can you handle that, Geoff?”

Geoff blushes at Alex’s words, leaning down to kiss Awsten on the cheek. Their puppy love is tugging at Alex’s heartstrings so much it hurts. “Of course I can. I won’t let anyone or anything hurt him.”

“Just don’t do anything stupid!” Alex yells before the boys disappear into the night and Jack leans against the locked door.

It dawns on Alex how exhausted he’s feeling.

“Let’s just go to bed, can we?” Jack reaches for Alex’s hand, but Alex is far away, immersed in Geoff vision, seeing the boys back home, Awsten reconciling with his family, still shaken from the accident, Geoff offering everyone to sleep at his place.

Alex takes a shower then, trying to wash off all the events of the day that have stuck to his skin like invisible mist, all the while still following Geoff and Awsten, his stomach painfully twisted in anxiety.

He lets himself relax slightly only when both of the boys are asleep, squished together in Geoff’s bed. Only then does Alex join Jack in bed, stirring the demon from his shallow slumber, pushing him slightly to the left side to make room.

“Thank you,” Alex whispers into Jack’s ear as Jack is twisting his limbs around him in a sleepy hug.

“For what?”

“Everything. I couldn’t have done any of this without you.” _I wouldn’t get to do any of this without you, either._

“You’re way more than you give yourself credit for.” Jack’s breath tickles the back of Alex’s neck and nothing else is said before they drift off to the lands of uneasy sleep.

*** 

“Oh cool, Zack just texted. Rian and him are gonna bring the dogs,” is the first thing Alex hears from Jack when he opens his eyes in the morning. Jack is already awake and on his phone, sitting with his back propped up against the pillows, but he leans down to kiss Alex on the forehead when he sees him wake. Zack and Rian are both old friends of Jack’s, trusted, but living considerably far away. After Jack reached out to them, however, they have thankfully agreed to come over and help capture Felony.

“Dogs? What dogs?”

“Hellhounds obviously, duh. Rian and Zack are both reapers, so they need dogs for people who won’t go Downstairs willingly, you know.”

Alex’s head is spinning. Actual fucking hellhounds? “I had no idea these were real,” he mumbles, hoping maybe there’s a glass of water on the bedside table, but no, he wasn’t that smart yesterday.

“Yeah, well. Reapers need support sometimes. And they’re good dogs, they will never attack anyone who’s not supposed to be in Hell, so no worries. Breakfast? I can make omelettes with spinach, are there eggs left? We need some proper food before we go see your angel buddies. I’m already scared.” Jack pats Alex’s shoulder that’s peeking out from underneath the covers, and then disappears in the kitchen.

Alex sighs loudly. He’s not even close to ready.

***

“No.”

Jawn’s guardian angel (his name is Pete, Alex realizes, and he is kind of a big deal Upstairs) tries to shut the door in their face. Realizing angelic powers won’t do much good against another heavenly being, especially a stronger and more experienced one, Alex just forces his foot between the door and the doorframe and ignores the dull pain in his appendage. “Just hear us out, okay?”

“No, I won’t. I know why you’re here. You’re the Felony Steve guys. You’ve gone rogue, and I can’t talk to you.” Pete tries to shut the door again, angrier this time, but Jack helps Alex with a bit of dark force and the door swings open, Pete having to jump back so it doesn’t hit him in the face.

It’s weird to hear the word _rogue_ in connection with himself. Alex isn’t a rogue. He’s just going the extra mile, and Pete needs to understand it.

Pete’s wearing his halo as a bracelet around his wrist; Alex notices that as soon as he steps into the inconspicuous, small apartment the angel resides in. But that’s not the most important thing he notices. Someone else steps out into the hallway, someone wearing all white and looking like an angel is supposed to, complete with wings and a shiny halo and it’s fucking Patrick, one of Alex’s professors back from the theory classes, and if Pete is a big deal, Patrick is twice or thrice as big a deal.

Why is he on Earth in Houston, Texas, guarding Otto Wood then?

 _He’s not_ , it dawns on Alex, but he doesn’t have time to analyze it as Patrick is currently breaking the non-aggression pact, preparing to smite Jack with a powerful energy bolt.

“Jack, watch out!” Alex yells. Jack ducks in the last second, the blast making a huge dent in the door right next to where his leg is.

“Patrick! Don’t.” Alex puts on his halo, feeling naked without it when Patrick is being like _that_. “We just came to talk, alright? If you give us five minutes of your time, you’ll understand.”

Alex looks to Pete, who’s standing with his hands crossed on his chest dangerously close to Jack. There’s no point in looking to Pete for support though, or anything really, because obviously Patrick is the one who makes all the decisions around here and Pete will just follow any and all orders. “Heaven knows about Felony, right? That’s why you’re here. They’d never send angels as respected as you guys to guard two ordinary teenagers.”

Patrick frowns and sighs, but finally abandons his battle stance. “The demon leaves. You can stay, but you’ve got five minutes.”

“No, we came here together and we’re gonna-”

“It’s okay, Alex,” Jack speaks up, stepping away from Pete as soon as he gets the chance. “You’ll deal with these _adorable_ boys all better by yourself.” Jack sends them all a fake smile as he struggles to open the dented door. “I’m banging him, by the way. Don’t be too jealous.” He gestures at Alex with a nod of his head, winks and then he’s gone.

Patrick currently resembles a raincloud. “Five minutes, demon-fucker.”

That about does it. Alex needs to pinch himself to calm down, remembering he is here for a good reason. _Remember Awsten. Remember how much Geoff loves him. These guys probably don’t care about Jawn and Otto losing a dear friend, they just care about the success of their own mission, but that’s okay. You care. You can convince them._  

“We can fix the Felony situation together. We got his blood, we can track him. We don’t know where he’s keeping the angel or if the angel is still alive, but we know how to send Felony back to Hell. We have - well, Jack’s friends have, they have hellhounds. We’re gonna use a proper curse to send him back.”

“Why are you doing this?” Pete asks, walking up to stand in front of Alex too. He’s not wearing his halo properly, no wings and he’s got a black hoodie and ripped jeans on, so there’s not an air of authority to him, not like there’s one to Patrick. “The Knight boy is not your subject, he never was. We’ve been especially sent here to save Andy, who, as a matter of fact, is alive, but isn’t doing too hot right now. We didn’t manage to free him yet because we’re not down to work with a _fucking demon_ ,” Pete says, sounding like he hates everything Alex chooses to be, and honestly? That’s fair. Jack didn’t have to tell them they’re sleeping together. “What’s in it for you? Your subject is doing just fine.”

“He’s in love with Awsten.”

Yeah, that. Like that’s not a recent development. Like that’s an actual reason behind this whole mess, not the fact that Jack _asked Alex nicely_. Not the fact that Alex wanted glory. Not the fact that Alex was just bored to death.

“So? You’re supposed to protect his safety, not keep his feelings from being hurt.”

“Is that so easy for you guys…?” Alex can’t really believe what he’s hearing. These dudes are angels, for fuck’s sake, aren’t they supposed to be inherently _good_?

When he doesn’t get an answer and his five minutes are quickly running out, Alex decides to just say his thing and hope for the best. “Look. We’re getting Felony tomorrow, Jack and I, whether you like it or not. If you tell us where your angel friend is being held, we can help him, too. We just wanted to ask if you could watch over the boys for us while we’re busy with Felony. We have security cameras installed in Awsten’s house, so that shouldn’t be too-”

“No,” Patrick cuts in, calmly, making Alex shut up immediately. “ _We_ are gonna get Andy while you deal with the demon. We can get someone else to watch over the kids, right? Pete? Will you ask Joe?”

“On it,” Pete replies, immediately starting to type away on his phone without taking his eyes off Alex for longer than a second. His skills are really quite impressive.

“I have a feeling your five minutes are up.” Patrick is looking straight into Alex’s eyes, and it’s terrifying. Being here without Jack makes it even worse, but it’s done, it’s almost done and he gets to leave in a short while. “Pete will take your number and you can sort out the details. It’s tomorrow, yeah?”

“Tomorrow. The blood curse starts working five minutes before midnight.”

Pete looks at Alex expectantly. “Your number?”

Alex gives him the number in a shaky voice, needing to check twice whether he remembered correctly.

“Okay then. Now fuck off.” Patrick disappears somewhere deeper into the apartment, making Alex realize the angels didn’t even let him enter past the hallway. Some hospitality... Pete shows him to the door.

“I know why you’re doing this,” Pete whispers ominously through a crack between the door and the doorframe after Alex steps foot outside of the apartment. “I know this is a boring mission. I know you’re thinking you’re destined for bigger and better things. Who knows, maybe you are. We might put in a good word for you if this mission succeeds. We might even not mentioned that you worked with a demon. There’s one condition, though.”

“Which is?” Alex is pretty sure he doesn’t want to know.

“Andy has to live.”

“Look, dude, I can’t influence that in any way, I really fucking wish he lived, but-”

“I don’t care.” Pete shrugs, and shuts the door.

Jack is waiting in the passenger’s seat of Alex’s car, his legs on the dashboard, and he’s messing with the radio, his phone showing the footage of Awsten and Geoff doing homework together in Awsten’s bedroom. Alex enters the car and just sits down, fuming, attempting to calm down, but there’s too many conflicting emotions fighting to surface inside of him.

Jack was right all along; this was way worse than meeting with Brendon.

“So? Did they agree? Alex?” Jack asks eagerly, fully turning his body towards the angel, clearly interested to know all the details. Oh, wouldn’t he like to know.

“Shut up, we’re not on speaking terms right now.”

“What?” Jack seems taken aback and confused, but only for a moment. “Oh. _Oh_. Is that because I told them we’re fucking? I-”

“That was immature and reckless! That’s just - that’s something you just don’t do! Yes, they agreed, but they gave me a bloody hard time, so if I don’t want to talk to you, I have good fucking reasons for it, alright?!”

Alex is not okay with all of the bad feelings surfacing in an ugly way like that. He doesn't want to take his frustration out on Jack, not for one passing remark that meant nothing in the end.

“Fine, if not speaking to me is going to help you in some way.”

“It won’t,” Alex decides, pulling Jack in quickly by the neck and beginning to kiss him. Jack leans into it willingly and without hesitation, not even thrown off by the sudden change of mood, kissing back just as hungrily, their exchange full of unsaid words and feelings they can't quite name yet. Alex can’t shake the sensation that he’s doing something wrong somehow, making a mistake that will come back to haunt him.

The kiss slows down and lasts for long, long minutes. The radio is playing some white noise in the background. Jack’s skin beneath his t-shirt is burning hot like always. Alex pulls away exhausted. “I’m sorry.”

Jack looks him in the eyes without a hint of a smile. It’s just not a good time to smile, it wouldn't feel right and Alex knows it, the gravity of everything weighing him down, the magnitude of his love for Jack trying to cloud his judgement.

“You have nothing to be sorry for, babe. Let’s just go home to check if we have everything prepared for tomorrow, alright? Do you want me to drive?”

***

Alex refuses to let go of Jack for the rest of the day.

It’s not that he has to be constantly holding Jack’s hand while they’re going through all the curses they are supposed to remember by heart, jotting them down into their phones just in case. It’s not like it’s comfortable to be texting Pete and Pete’s friend, Joe, while still trying to hold Jack’s hand, and it’s not like Alex wouldn’t like both hands to eat the pad thai they ordered for dinner. But he can’t let go of Jack’s hand.

“What is going on with you, babe?” Jack sets his empty food container away and sprawls on the couch, pulling Alex down so that Alex can lay on Jack’s chest comfortably. “You’re being extra clingy and it’s not like I don’t appreciate it, I just want to know what provoked it.”

“Come on, it’s not like you don’t know. It’s not like you don’t realize that if things go well tomorrow, it might as well be our last night together, and if they go wrong - well, it most likely _will_ be our last night together. Did you - I don’t know, did you consider that?”

“I didn’t.” Jack sighs and Alex can feel his chest move. Then there’s Jack’s fingers in his hair, stroking it, but Alex can’t really force his body to calm down even a little. “I didn’t want to consider it. I didn’t really feel like admitting to myself that I actually might care more about staying next to you than getting into the inner circles of Hell now, but I kinda feel like this is the truth of the situation, and it makes me angry with myself.”

“Angry?”

“Yeah. I mean, maybe there’s other emotions at play, but anger is the one I understand, so yeah, that. I’m a demon, okay? I wanted to have a career and be twice as big a deal as Brendon by next year, I wanted to be feared and mess things up and create chaos, I wanted The Man himself to tell me he’s proud of me… but now I can’t stop thinking about how I don’t care about any of those things anymore.” Jack keeps stroking Alex’s hair through the confessions. Alex goes completely still, feeling like he’s gonna burst into tears soon. “I just wanna eat chips with you and go to Walmart and make you appreciate the _Fast and Furious_ franchise and, I don’t know, adopt a dog or two together. Did I ever mention that love is the dumbest feeling of them all? Like, I permanently feel like Geoff who just gave his first blowjob, and no, it’s not safe to look at the screen yet.” Alex ignores the blowjob revelation and decides to briefly check whether Geoff is okay, but nopes out immediately. Jack was right. “But we both have agendas and jobs and a purpose other than just… living, you know?”

Alex does, and he wishes like never before that they could both just _live_. “I hope you’re not angry at me. I didn’t - I didn’t want any of this to happen.” _But I’m happy it did._

“Angry at you? No, never. I couldn’t. You’re my angel. Also you’re literally an angel and I’m crazy about your banging body and gorgeous soul, so. No wonder I fell for you fast.”

“How fast was it?” Alex turns a little in Jack’s embrace so they can look at each other’s faces.

“That first evening, after you kicked me out to think some more? I knew then. It’s just - your aura and the power around you was so powerful it knocked me off my feet.”

Alex revels in it. He’s never been in love before, at least not consciously, never felt that boundless, irrational happiness, and he knows he might never feel it again, because Jack will take it with him wherever he goes and he’ll let it burn in the fires of Hell.

“Remember that night I asked you why you drink alcohol?”

Jack nods. “When you tried to reach me with your healing powers? That was nice.”

“I think that was the moment for me. Although I chose to stay in denial until your confession.”

Jack wraps his hands around Alex’s back, holding him close. “Whatever happens tomorrow night, or after that, remember this - I love you, alright? I’m so glad we had this time together, and so honored to be working with you on this mission.”

“I never would have chosen you.” Alex says, hoping Jack understands. _I never would have chosen anyone, I was perfectly fine on my own, except I wasn’t, but I had no idea_. “The universe put you on my path, and that must count for something in the grander scheme of things, don’t you think?”

“I think it must. I also think we’ve both had enough of the sappy shit and would love to have some sex right now. You in?”

***

(“Hey Geoff?”

“Yeah?”

“If that demon kills me after all, I want you to-”

“No, I’m not letting you die. I don’t wanna ever hear about it, you’re not dying.”

“I know, I just - _if_ something happens to me, tomorrow or ever, nevermind, I just have one request, alright?”

“Alright, Aws. Anything.”

“Please upload all my demos.”)

***

There’s a lot of fear swimming through Alex’s veins. Fear of the future, fear of losing Jack, fear of their upcoming confrontation with Felony Steve, fear for Geoff and Awsten. Alex had no idea you could channel fear into lust, but Jack has been making him question a lot of things lately. The bed is an island and it’s infinite, time doesn’t exist because the curtains are drawn tightly and it’s hard to say whether it’s still night or maybe day already and if it’s their last hurrah, Alex wants to make sure they go out in style. He wants to hear every moan and feel every inch. He wants to be fucked so thoroughly he doesn’t even remember his own name afterwards.

Which is ironic, considering he doesn’t remember his last name already.

They’re taking it slow, prolonging the foreplay, currently fully naked and wrapped in each other while making out lazily. Jack is starting to lose control though, rubbing his erection against Alex’s thigh whenever he can get away with it. Alex breaks their kisses, moving away a little, not ready for this to reach its final stage yet.

“Why’d you stop, Alex?”

“I just want to look at you for a while. If that’s okay.”

Jack stills, letting Alex stare at his body in silence. Alex takes it all in, every curve and edge, every muscle and inch of skin, the dark ink of Jack’s tattoos. He’s trying not to cry when he starts slowly running his fingers over Jack’s body. It lasts until Jack gets goosebumps, fixates on Alex’s hand and grabs it, bringing it up to his mouth to kiss, resting his lips on Alex’s halo ring.

What if Alex took the ring off? What if he temporarily got rid of the sole thing that gathers, amplifies and directs his angelic powers, and gave himself to Jack fully vulnerable?

Jack seems to understand this thought process wordlessly somehow, like the ring is the last piece of clothing Alex needs to get rid of.

He waits as Alex takes the ring off his finger and drops it in Jack’s open palm. Jack inspects the golden object, weighing it in his hand first while Alex is trying to ignore the dizziness he’s feeling.

“I can’t do anything with it,” Jack comments, trying to stretch the ring into something wider, but the metal won’t budge.

“Of course you can’t. Let me.” Alex takes the ring back, one swift move of his fingers and it becomes a bracelet, another and it’s a necklace.

“That’s so cool. Put it on my cock,” Jack says, Alex eyebrows flying up and a laugh escaping his mouth, but Jack looks deadly serious.

“For real?”

“Yeah, why not? Am I gonna burn to death or whatever? Maybe all my sins will actually be absolved, you don’t know that.”

“I’m not gonna put it on your fucking cock, come on.”

“What if I ask nicely?” Jack leans in, placing his lips strategically on Alex’s collarbone and using his arms to push Alex to the mattress.

“How nicely are we talking?”

Maybe it’s a placebo effect, but to Alex it seems like every sensation is magnified without his ring on. Jack’s kissing his collarbones and sucking bruises into his neck. Alex is feeling weak and vulnerable like never before, like he’s surrendered all control. It’s terrifying, but also turns him on like nothing else ever did.

“Can you please put your ring on my cock now?”

“Okay, okay, fine. Alright.”

 _This is a bad, bad idea._  Alex picks up the ring which they abandoned somewhere between the sheets, stretches it and carefully places it around at the base of Jack’s cock, where it fits neatly, glowing a subtle golden glow.

“Holy fuck,” Jack exclaims, staring at where the metal touches his skin. A glow spreads over his entire body, giving him a golden aura and a physical kind of energy that makes the air around him vibrate. Alex shivers in awe, trying to reach for Jack’s hand, but Jack moves way too quickly and Alex finds himself in his lap the next second, the air vibrating around both of them now. “Is that how you feel all the time? Because holy shit.”

“It’s a lot, isn’t it?”

“I feel like I can hear the thoughts in your head. Or maybe I’m just going insane.”

Jack holds onto Alex’s back, drawing fingers into the flesh there like he’s afraid of letting go. The serious mood doesn’t last long though, because Jack quickly adjusts to the sensation. “I’m gonna fuck you now, babe. But, before I do,” Jack does his trademark suggestive wink, “kiss the ring.”

The sex is like nothing Alex has ever felt before. It all feels like a fever dream, like it can’t be real, like Alex’s body moves to another plane of existence where it gives itself fully to Jack, where Alex can’t control any of his limbs anymore and just lets the flow take him. Jack is trying to be reasonable with the power he’s been granted, so he’s more careful than ever, but it carries him anyway, joins the two of them, ties them together like they can never be untied again. Alex wishes for it to never end, but then it does when Jack comes inside him and then sucks him off until Alex can’t breathe anymore and he screams, but there’s no sound leaving his mouth.

He lies limp and worn out on the bed, staring at the cracks in the white ceiling, feeling like he’s dying (again) until he feels Jack placing the golden ring in his palm. It shrinks down to its regular ring size and as soon as Jack puts it back on Alex’s finger, Alex can feel some of his powers slowly returning.

“You’ve been amazing, angel,” Jack mutters into Alex’s mouth, kissing him gently as he hovers over his body.

“And you’ve been - I don’t know. They didn’t invent a word for it yet.”

They fall asleep for a couple hours after that, until an alarm brutally informs them it’s time to get ready for their all or nothing.

***

It’s evening already when a car pulls up, Jack running to the door and outside as fast as his legs can carry him. Alex watches two quite buff dudes exit a black SUV and smile widely before they drown in Jack’s embrace. For Jack to hug someone so enthusiastically seems a little out of character, but it’s fine, Alex needs to believe it’s fine. It's how you greet old friends, right?

“Is that your angel boy?” asks one of them, approaching Alex who has never seen a shinier grin on anyone, alive or dead. “Hi Alex, I’m Rian,” he introduces himself, taking Alex’s extended hand but immediately going for a one-armed hug as well. Surprised by the very warm welcome, Alex doesn’t even notice two huge dogs Zack is holding on leashes until they’re right by his knees, headbutting him, whining and begging for attention.

“Hope you’re not scared of dogs? I’m Zack. These are Luci and Bee.”

 _I’m petting actual hellhounds most likely named after Lucifer and Beelzebub,_ Alex realizes, patting both dogs on their heads and scratching behind their ears, making them wag their tails enthusiastically. So these creatures send people to Hell by ripping their human flesh to shreds, huh? Interesting.

“Come on in, guys, we’ll get you up to speed,” Jack offers.

“Awesome, do y’all have some good coffee?”

***

When Jack casts a curse on the bloody knife and takes it into his hand, he claims he can feel where to go to find Felony, so they walk there. They’re lead to a very lowkey house just a couple blocks away, lights on, no curtains in the windows, and they can see Felony is there in the living room eating a Hot Pocket and watching a game of golf, out of all things. The stupid boldness of the demon makes both Jack and Alex burst into nervous giggles.

Alex checks the time. It’s ten past midnight; Rian and Zack and their dogs are waiting for a sign in a car nearby; Joe, Pete’s friend, is hopefully watching the monitors in Alex’s house; Patrick and Pete are already by the house where Andy is apparently tied up in the basement, also expecting for a sign from Alex to start their rescue mission.

Jack and Alex wait in the shade of a tree. “I’ll text Rian,” Jack says, squeezing Alex’s arm briefly for reassurance. Alex pulls out his own phone as well, the burner Jack got him at the very beginning, and calls Geoff’s number.

“Alex?”

“Is everything fine with you guys?”

“Yeah, we’re at Awsten’s. Just had dinner with his family, playing Dragon Age now. Trying not to think about… you know… too much. Aws is a little nervous.”

“I’m not!” Awsten yells in the background, insulted.

“Shut up, I know you are. Anyway, we should be all good. So go do your thing, guys. I’m ready to protect Awsten with my body if he needs it.”

“Please don’t.” The fear of Geoff doing something stupid and/or unnecessary to protect Awsten is one of Alex’s main concerns. “I asked another angel to watch over both of you tonight. He’s gonna intervene if anything happens. Stay safe, alright?”

“We will, Alex, don’t sweat. Let us know how it goes, yeah?”

“Sure. Bye, Geoff.” Alex hangs up. Jack is looking at him with a melancholic smile, the streetlights bathing parts of his face and hair in a warm glow.

 _It’s now or never_ , Alex realizes. This is what their entire mission comes down to. Felony is here, they’re going to trap him, disable his powers, open a gateway to Downstairs and then the hellhounds are going to get him. And then - nobody knows what will happen then. Jack is tugging at Alex’s sleeve and Alex leans in for a kiss, trying to say _Good luck_ , trying to say _I love you_ , trying to say _Goodbye, but I don’t want you to go anywhere_ , trying to say _Let’s get this motherfucker and then bask in eternal glory_.

A last-minute idea illuminates Alex’s brain, simple but vital, so he takes the halo ring off his finger and slides it on one of Jack’s.

“What are you doing?”

“You’re going to be stronger that way. It will help, trust me.”

“Yeah, I- but you! You’re going to be weaker,” Jack protests, and he’s right. Alex can feel the dizziness already, but he’s trying to fight it.

“My job is to literally text Pete and then cast one curse. I can do it without the ring, Jack. You’re gonna need to keep Felony from escaping and create the gate, so you need all the power you can get, right?”

Jack smiles, slightly uncertain, the ring enhancing his very non-angelic aura, and kisses Alex again, but briefly. Alex holds onto the feeling for as long as he can manage.

“You’re the best. Now, ready to kick a demon’s ass?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Alex sends Pete a text, _T minus one minute_ , and they kick down the door of Felony’s house, already hearing the barking dogs in the distance.

Felony jumps from the couch, dropping the sad Hot Pocket to the carpet where it creates a picturesque stain. He’s wearing a t-shirt with _FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER_ printed in Comic Sans across his chest, and a stupid chain around his neck like 90s rappers. “Aw fuck. Not you guys again, I don't like you all that much,” he whines, not realizing Alex has already finished muttering the curse that’s supposed to trap him. “Damn, and you brought company? Wait, are they _puppies_? I love puppies!”

“These puppies are gonna send you straight to Hell, bastard!” Jack’s already struggling to keep control over the curse, even with help from Zack and Rian who have joined them now, still holding the hellhounds on leashes.

“No, not to Hell! I can’t go back there, my girlfriend is gonna miss me so much. She’s not even gonna know what happened, she’s out at some language class... She came all the way from Edinburgh to live with me, you know?”

“Do you know who gives a fuck? Not me,” Jack replies, starting to read the second curse, which Brendon provided them with, from his phone.

A couple words in, Felony Steve starts screaming like he’s in agony, and drops to the floor. A couple words more and Jack’s eyes begin bleeding, preventing him from further reading the curse. It strikes fear into Alex’s heart, but that’s fine, Jack’s fine, nothing a little healing power won’t fix, right? Jack gives up reading from his phone and recites the rest of the curse from memory, Felony still screaming, dogs barking and Alex wants to disappear into himself and never come out again, but that’s when a fiery portal opens on the floor a couple feet away from Felony.

“Go get him, boys,” yells Rian, probably, Alex is not sure, his pulse way too quick for it to be healthy anymore and it’s getting harder and harder for him to stand up right, so he does the only useful thing he can think of: checks into his Geoff vision. Awsten is asleep with his head in Geoff’s lap while Geoff is watching Parks and Recreation and stroking his boyfriend’s hair. Meanwhile, the dogs have reached Felony and are currently tearing his stupid t-shirt apart, but suddenly his screams turn to ugly laughter and a blast of white, blinding light knocks everybody off their feet.

It hurts.

Alex takes two seconds to recover. There’s ringing in his ears and the dizziness almost makes him pass out, but he forces himself to look.

The hellhounds are cowering in the corner of Felony’s living room, whimpering in fear. Zack and Rian are trying to pick themselves up from the floor to see if the dogs are alright. Jack is kneeling on the floor, wiping blood from his eyes and trying to see Felony, who’s currently hovering a couple inches off the ground, blasted in some internal light, his human façade completely gone, leaving behind nothing but demonic, terrifying bloody set of skin and bones that nearly makes Alex throw up in his mouth. So far, he’s only seen actual dehumanized demon forms in textbooks during theory classes. Nothing about them is easy on the eyes.

“You’re trying to send _me_ to Hell? Me, Felony Fucking Steve? Losers. Did you really think you could do it? For real?”

“Yeah, for real.” Jack, visibly using the power of Alex’s ring, rises over the floor as well. Love and fear explodes in Alex’s soul as he watches Jack throw himself at Felony, almost a déjà vu from their first encounter with the demon, a supernatural combination of speed and strength helping Jack grab onto Felony and push him back until they both fall into the Hell portal.

Everything is over just as fast as it began, flooding the room in silence.

The dreadfully bright light is gone. The fiery hole is nowhere to be found, just a pile of ash left behind, Zack and Rian are patting the dogs in the corner and Alex checks to see that Geoff is still watching a TV show with Awsten now properly asleep in his lap.

They made it. Their insane mission has succeeded. Jack is back Downstairs now, hopefully making sure Felony Steve is receiving the punishment he deserves.

Fighting back tears, Alex crawls on his knees to the pile of ash, and picks his halo ring out of it.

***

_Hey Jack,_

_It’s not the same without you, it never is and it never will be. It’s been six months and I know I’m not supposed to feel this, but I do, and I walk around the suburbs of Houston making friends with the void because I miss you so much. I'm feeling disgustingly... human because of it._

_Everything is boring again. I’ve started eating healthy because junk food and snacks make me think of you. If I want to watch a movie, it's guaranteed I'll find something to cry about within the first five minutes, even if it's a comedy. I’ve started running because it makes me think less, and I’m actually pretty fit now. You’d like it._

_Awsten and Geoff are still together and as disgustingly happy as ever. They’ve both graduated high school, but neither went to college this year. They’ve become really serious about this band of theirs; they’re trying to make it take off. They’ve settled on a name: Waterparks. Honestly, their music isn’t half bad. I have a strange feeling you’d enjoy it. And I know you’d enjoy seeing them happy and safe, because in the end that’s one of the reasons why we did what we did._

_Another reason, Andy, is still recovering Upstairs. It's not easy, but he’s slowly getting better. I know that because I’ve stayed in touch with Pete. Apparently Patrick put in a good word for me, but guess what, I’m supposed to stay on my mission until Geoff turns 21 anyway, and maybe the next one I get will be more prestigious. Maybe. No one knows. Maybe Patrick didn't put in a good word for me at all. I have literally no way to tell, and no glory to bask in either. It's just same old boredom like nothing ever happened, but I know it did. I was_ here  _for it._

_I’m sending this letter into the void of my bedside drawer. I just needed to feel like you’re real, at least for a second, because some days I don't even believe it anymore. I want to call Geoff and ask if he’s really seen you next to me in the flesh that one time you two have met, but then I remember I’m his guardian angel and he’s not mine and that I can't._

_Anyway, I hope you’re enjoying your glory in the inner circles of Downstairs. You deserve it. I also hope the food’s spicy there._

_Yours in eternity (to which we’re both doomed, I guess),_

_Alexander_

_***_

Shopping at Walmart is ruined now too. Alex has to actively stop himself from buying things Jack would enjoy, and if he ends up doing that, he often eats with tears in his eyes. Bummed after another shopping trip, not even able to enjoy the beautiful sunset, Alex exits his car and grabs one of the bags from the trunk when he notices someone casually sitting on his doorstep.

Alex lets go of the bag, apples and cantaloupes rolling away to the street, a bottle of juice breaking at his feet.

Jack, a gigantic suitcase standing next to him, raises his hand in greeting, his face decorated with the biggest grin.

“Missed me, angel?”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to my amazing friend Wednesday for cheering me on as always and suffering through all the vague previews. Love you. Can't believe a silly tumblr prompt has evolved into this.
> 
> Thanks for reading! I'd love to hear from you guys! Liked it, hated it? What did you enjoy most, who was your favorite character? Let's talk in the comments about literally anything.
> 
> Forever yours at samrull.tumblr.com


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